Why Hire a Pet Photographer?

5 Reasons to Hire a Pro

1 - Our time with them is brief, and that makes it precious. This is a tough fact, and one that makes portraits of your pet even more personal and meaningful.

2 - Phone photos are great - and plentiful - but the expertise of a professional photographer is priceless. It is a craft we spend hours, days, and years honing, perfecting our lighting techniques and investing in education and equipment to capture your pet in a way you have never seen them before!

3 - We are used to slobber! And poop, and pee, and getting scratched and jumped on, even ignored, but we don’t take it personally. We have a lot of experience with animals, from spicy or shy to overly affectionate! Just like no two animals are alike, no two sessions are alike, and a professional knows how to improvise and give your pet whatever they need, be it space or attention, to make them comfortable and bring out their truest selves.

4 - A professional will capture the details! Their “Grinch” toes, their nose print - which is a unique as a fingerprint, the texture of their fur - We know what you’ll want to remember about your pet for the rest of your life.

5 - IT’S FUN! We spend almost the whole time playing! You will create memories with your pet during the session and the final Artwork pieces will be a reminder of the joy they bring into your life.

Ok, but why a Professional Pet Photographer?

Let’s get into it!

So why a professional photographer who specializes in pets? Why not hire a family photographer, or someone who does a little bit of everything?

I’ll be totally honest here, I used to be a family photographer, and I used to be someone who did a little bit of everything.

Unfortunately, that lack of focus (pun intended - always) meant I was spread thin. I loved photography SO MUCH that I wanted to learn everything, all the genres, all the techniques. I could not decide what I really wanted to do within the photography industry. And I got burnt out. Crispy.

Fortunately, that charred feeling caused me to step back and hone in on one genre - for a while it was weddings, then for a couple years it was families. No matter what I was doing, I made sure my clients brought their pets. My favorite weddings were the ones where there was a ring-dog, or their cats were part of the engagement photos. Then I decided I needed to specialize further to get reaaaaaally good at one thing and totally excel at it. “Pets” was the first thing out of my mouth when asked what my dream studio looked like.

Also fortunately, I have a lot of experience in all sorts of photography settings that nothing can throw me for a loop. I can handle shooting outdoors in the weather with a pup who gets distracted by every bird (I have survived being “clotheslined” by a leash), I can find my way around a professional portrait studio, I can shoot in the low light of a cat shelter or use natural light and find cozy backdrops in a small apartment. I’ve practiced the “treat throw” with several dogs until I found out the trick. I have learned what makes a cat feel comfortable in the strangeness of the studio, and to not take it personally when they just aren’t into me. I’m not grossed out by pet messes. I mean, they’re gross, but sometimes it happens, so we clean up and move on.

I often chat with family and wedding photographers and their response when I tell them I specialize in pets is usually some variation of “Oh wow - dogs are tough! How do you do it?” Well, for me it fits. It makes sense. I think that photographing toddlers and teens is tough - so I leave them to the family pros. Give me all your cats and dogs, I’ll take them.

So back to the original question: Why a professional photographer who specializes in pets? Because specializing in one thing, and focusing on it and loving it and living it as your passion and calling means you will excel at it and give your clients only the best service and experience.

I knew what I was getting into when I chose pet photography.

No regrets.